Yet there is nothing in the book of 
the sense of helpless outrage that so 
often engulfs one in Madagascar, and 
something akin to that has to lie at 
the heart of the activities of conser- 
vationists everywhere. Of course, such 
emotion has to be balanced by prag- 
matism, by a sense of reality; but if 
it is overbalanced, we are paralyzed. 
There are places in the eastern humid 
forests of Madagascar where one can 
stand on a mountain crest and see 
the rain forest stretching away, ridge 
and valley, for as far as the eye can 
discern. Its very immensity creates an 
almost tangible presence, a sense of 
permanence, of inviolability, as if this 
were how the world had from the be- 
ginning been meant to be. Then, by 
turning one’s head no more than ninety 
degrees, one sees devastation: clear- 
ings, vast and small; spirals of smoke 
rising lazily into the air, signaling the 
imminence of the end of what still 
remains. And one doesn’t want to un- 
derstand. One doesn’t sympathize. 
For if one did, if one really un- 
derstood the human needs that un- 
derlie such devastation, could one 
really seek to stop it? The destruction 
is not wanton; its causes lie far beyond 
what could be achieved by a few con- 
servation-oriented grants, while a 
Third World government beset by the 
immediate problems of feeding an 
ever expanding population can hardly 
afford to take a long-term view. Suc- 
cessful conservation under these con- 
ditions requires a certain degree of 
monomania, a refusal to acknowledge 
the full, daunting dimensions of the 
problem. Alison Jolly’s book is less 
than satisfactory as a conservationist 
tract precisely because it reminds us 
so clearly of the difficulties involved, 
the more powerfully since it presents 
them at an intimately human level. 
And as its title reminds us, the prob- 
lems are not Madagascar’s alone. The 
island is indeed a microcosm, and both 
despite and because of its shortcom- 
ings as a tract, this sensitive book 
should be read by all who are con- 
cerned about conservation worldwide. 
And by others, too, for it is the finest 
modern evocation in our language of 
the unique, fascinating, and unfamil- 
iar world of Madagascar. 
Ian Tattersall is associate curator in 
the Department of Anthropology at 
the American Museum. He has trav- 
eled and worked extensively in Mad- 
agascar, where he has studied various 
aspects of the biology of lemurs. 
Fine art. Fine value. 
"Femme Bleue," an original lithograph by Linda Le 
Kinff, typifies the very remarkable value that Christie's 
Print Collection offers in original etchings and litho- 
graphs. Attractive landscapes and figurative works by 
rising young artists from $100 to $150. As well as the 
work of such masters as Chagall, Moore and Miro. 
Each work is an original, numbered and signed by the 
artist. Then it is stamped with Christie’s seal of 
authentication and delivered to your home. 
Let us send you our free colour, 
portfolio and price list. . ' >> 
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to buy original ff <'4 
prints. No better 
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Christie s Print Collection 
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State 
ZiD 
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